Elsewhere, on Wutan City's bustling streets, the clamor of pedestrians and vendors suddenly subsided.
A procession parted the crowd soundlessly, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath. The Misty Cloud Sect emblems they wore, together with their fierce, unapproachable presence, made everyone instinctively give them a wide berth and watch them with awe.
Escorted by these guards, an ornately decorated carriage slowly approached the Xiao Clan's residence in the city.
The carriage came to a steady halt before the Xiao Clan's imposing main entrance. A withered yet powerful hand lifted the curtain, and Ge Ye stepped down with a solemn expression. He straightened his robes and looked up at the plaque bearing the words "Xiao Residence," his gaze filled with condescending scrutiny.
Immediately afterward, a young woman in a pale blue-green dress lightly hopped out of the carriage. Beautiful and aloof, she resembled a snow lotus waiting to bloom. She was the central figure of this visit, Nalan Yanran.
Yet when their gazes fell on the Xiao Clan's main gate, the carefully prepared dignity and composure on both their faces froze.
The sight before them was simply... too bizarre. The entrance, which should have consisted of two heavy gate leaves, now had only its lonely right half remaining. The left side stood empty, leaving the courtyard within fully exposed to view.
Elder Ge Ye's brows knitted tightly. What was going on? Had thieves struck the Xiao Clan last night and stolen half their gate? Or had they clashed with someone who came to their doorstep and tore down half the gate to humiliate them?
One conjecture after another flashed through his mind, but none could reasonably explain the absurd sight before him. This unforeseen development had completely disrupted the intimidating entrance he had envisioned.
The Xiao Clan servants who